Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Chofuku-ji Temple

 

     Abe Hirafu, the governor of Koshi Province, commanded 180 ships and attacked Mishihase in 658.  After the attack, he held a banquet for cooperative and helpful northern foreigners, including those from Iburi-Sae.  Some identify Iburi-Sae to be Sai in Shimokita Peninsula.  Hirafu also offered the central government 2 alive bears and 70 bear hides.  In 659, he attacked Mishihase and offered the central government 49 captives.

     In 660, the central government finally dispatched Abe Hirafu so that he could command 200 ships and attack Mishihase.  He ordered the northern foreigners in Mutsu Province to board the ships, and got to the southern riverbank of a large river.  At that time, 1,000 northern foreigners in Watari-jima were encamped on the other riverbank.  2 of them proceeded and shouted out, “Many of Mishihase’s ships and soldiers are coming.  They are going to kill us.  We’d like to cross the river and work for you.”  Abe sent a ship and asked the two where the enemy was hiding their ships and how many ships they had.  The two pointed at a place and said, “More than 20 ships.”  Abe sent a messenger to the enemy, but they denied coming.  They also refused Abe’s appeasement policies, and held the fortress in Herobe Island.  They were defeated by Abe, and killed their own wives and children on the island.  Abe offered the central government 50 captives.

     Sai Village has Kosai, namely Old Sai, and Osai, namely Big Sai, areas.  Between the 2 areas, there is a hill on which Yanemori-Hachiman-gu Shrine stands.

     Shokai-ji Temple was founded in Osai at the foot of Yanemori-Hachiman-gu Shrine, which was founded in 1062.  The temple could have had something to do with the shrine, and was abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, with its Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha image moved to Chofuku-ji Temple, which had been founded in 1112, when Minamoto Yoriyoshi (988-1075) defeated the Abe Clan in Mutsu Province.  It is, however, unknown if Yoriyoshi's power reached the northernmost tip of the province.

Address: Kosai-112 Sai, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4711

Phone: 0175-38-2298

Yanemori-Hachiman-gu Shrine

Address: Hachimando-37 Sai, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4711

Phone: 0175-38-2259

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Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Horin-ji Temple

 

     Gamanosawa Village was located on the right bank of upstream Tanabu River.  From sometime in Heian Period (794-1185) to Kamakura Period (1185-1333), Yamadate Fortress was built in Shishibashi Hamlet of the village.  Samurai could have supported the foundation of Horin-ji Temple as it belongs to Caodong Chan School.

     Tradition says that the village produced some gold and silver.

Address: Muranaka-33 Gamanosawa, Higashidori, Shimokita District, Aomori 035-0004

Phone: 0175-27-2936

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Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Shinko-ji Temple

 

     Shinko-ji Temple was founded in 1647 in the south of Ohata Hachiman-gu Shrine by Priest Shin'nyu, the 5th priest of Daisen-ji Temple in Morioka, the capital of the Morioka Domain, which was ruled by the Nanbu Clan.

     It is unknown when Shinzan Shrine was founded.  The shrine had Hachiman-gu Shrine in its precincts.  In 1617, it burned down.  Hachiman-gu Shrine was revived by being moved to its present place in 1648.  Miyama Shrine was rebuilt in 1654.

     The neighborhood might have been rezoned as a religious zone.

Address: Minamimachi-28 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-3483

Daisenji Temple

Address: 1 Chome-14-1 Honchodori, Morioka, Iwate 020-0015

Phone: 019-651-5766

Ohata-Hachiman-gu Shrine

Address: Minamimachi-46 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-3636

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Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Ohira-Shinmei-gu Shrine

 

     The lowlands between Oara and Koara Rivers used to be called Onabedaira.  When Nakatsugawa Shichiroemon dotted 58 place names and 46 samurai names on his rough map of Shimokita Peninsula in August, 1455, the place name Onabedaira was mapped without any ruler's name or a fortress name.

     Presumably after Nanbu Masatsune, the 13th head of the family, ousted Kakizaki Nobusumi in Kakizaki Fortress in 1457, the Takehana Family was either sent by the Nanbu Family or was promoted locally.  They built the Shiritaka Fortress.  Takehana Inaba used Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha image as his helmet's front ornament.  In 1560, he founded Shintaka Kannon-do Hall and enshrined the image in it.  In 1617, Shinmei Shrine was invited to Onabedaira.  Sometime between 1661 and 1673, Noguchi Kiyoyasu developed Ohira Village in Onabedaira.

     It is unknown what happened to the Takehana Family.  Usually, that type of helmet front ornament was passed down to his successor.  Enshrining it could have meant that the family became farmers.  However, the timing is somewhat weird.  There were no big political and/or military changes in the Shimokita Peninsula in the middle of the 16th century.  Was he tired of or fed up with being a samurai?

     After the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, Shintaka Kannon-do Hall was abolished with its Ekadasamukha image moved to 

Address: 53-4 Odairacho, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0083

Phone: 0175-29-3314

Daikaku-in Kumano Shrine

Address: Shinmachi 50−2, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0051 

Phone: 0175-22-2682

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Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Daikai-ji Temple

 

     Jikan-an Hermitage was founded in Hebiura Village presumably as a shrine temple of Orito Shrine in 1649.  Hebiura was called Hebinuma when the Kakizaki Family was ousted by the Nanbu Family in 1457. Akita Gaiki and Kujo Saburobe were stationed in the village.  In 1647, the village was documented as Hebiuta.

     In 1939, Priest Rindo lived in the hermitage, and changed it to a temple in 1968, renaming it Daikai-ji.

     The temple's main deity is Shakyamuni Tathagata, with the statues of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, standing on both sides.  Usually, when a Shakamuni image was enshrined with 2 other Buddhist images on both sides, 2 different Buddhist images were enshrined.  It is, accordingly, supposed the two Arya Avalokitesvara images were added later.

     Mt. Orito is the northernmost mountain in Honshu.  Winds blow there at an average speed of 8.6 meters per second.  Locals might have felt something sacred, and Orito Shrine was enshrined on the top of the mountain in 1617.  Inari Shrine was invited to Hebiura Village in 1687.  Presumably for the convenience of the locals, Orito Shrine was invited to Inari Shrine sometime between 1716 and 1736.

     In 1881, the village exported kelp, funori seaweed, dried squid, and dried abalone, and imported rice, sake, salt, sweets, etc., resulting in an export surplus according to a survey of the import and export of goods for the previous year submitted to the governor of Aomori Prefecture by middleman Suzuki Sobei in 1882.  A report to the county governor, Kawanishi Sukushi, in 1883, stated that "the village is rich in marine products and is generally wealthy," and a report to the county governor, Shiba Taichiro, in 1886, stated that people made a living from fishing and working away from home, with neither rich nor poor.

Address: Hebiura-44-1 Hebiura, Kazamaura, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4503

Phone: 0175-35-2828

Orito Shrine

Address: Akahira-24 Hebiura, Kazamaura, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4503

Phone: 0175-35-2171

Oritoyama

Address: Orito Hebiura, Kazamaura, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4503

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Choju-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when Choju-in Temple was founded in Chogo Village.  The village was located at the mouth of Chogo River and was first documented in 1647.  In the 1780's, the village had no rice fields and had 6 households.

     Matsuura Takeshiro (1818-1888) kept the East Mutsu Coast Journal when he explored the coast of today's Aomori Prefecture for 5 times from 1844 to 1849.  According to the journal, the village's main industry was fishing and woodwork, and many young men went to Hokkaido to work.

     In 1754, Higuchi Asaemon came from Yamagata and stayed in Sai Village.  He found a copper vein in Chogo.  In 1785, Maruyama Shozaemon, a local merchant, undertook and opened the Chogo Copper Mine.  The mine produced Galena, Sphalerite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Quartz, and Baryte till 1801.

     Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide.  Sphalerite is a sulfide mineral with the chemical formula S. It is the most important ore of zinc.  Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral and the most abundant copper ore mineral.  The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula FeS₂.  Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral.  Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue give it a superficial resemblance to gold, hence the well-known nickname of fool's gold.  Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica.

Address: Chogokawame-52-2 Chogo, Sai, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4712

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13Toden-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Toden-ji Temple was founded in Ikokuma Village.

     Ikokuma and Metaki Rivers' mouths form a small plain.  The plain was ruled by Kitagawa Totsuroken, who was subject to Kakizaki Nobusumi, when the Kakizaki Family was ousted by the Nanbu Family in 1457.

     The Khitan people's name Turburur was documented in Chinese characters, which are pronounced Tulubu in Chinese and Totsurohu in Japanese.  Totsuroken, which is pronounced Tuluxian in Chinese, sounds somewhat like Kitan.  Northern foreigners could have had various origins.

     Ikokuma Village was first documented in 1647.

Address: Ikokuma-31-2 Ikokuma, Kazamaura, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4502

Phone: 0175-35-2807

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Jodo-ji Temple

 

     In August, 1455, 2 years before Nanbu Masatsune, the 13th head of the family, attacked Kakizaki Nobusumi in Kakizaki Fortress, Nakatsugawa Shichiroemon dotted 58 place names and 46 samurai names on his rough map of Shimokita Penninsula.  Shimofuro Hot Spring was mapped as the hot spring source in Yunosawa, which was ruled by Nobusumi.  In 1656, it was documented that Nanbu Shigenobu (1616-1702) bathed in the hot spring.  It isn't clear who ruled the hot spring after the Nanbu Family ousted the Kakizaki Family to Hokkaido, but it was in the territory of the Nanbu Family in the Edo Period (1603-1867).

     Jodo-ji Temple was founded in 1647 with the cast-iron Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, as its main deity.

Address: Shimofuro-19 Shimofuro, Kazamaura, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4501

Phone: 0175-36-2122

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Uba-ji Temple

 

     Shozu River's upstream was considered to be the Vaitarani, which lies between the Earth and the infernal Naraka, the realm of Yama, the Hindu god of death.  In Japan, an old lady is believed to live along the river to collect 6 coins of the ferry fare.  Her image was washed away from the upstream to Ohata Village 4 times, and villagers decided to enshrine the image in the village at the beginning of Heian Period (794-1184).  If you consider her to be kind enough to let you cross the river, you call her Uba.  If you regard her as a cold-blooded fare collector, you dub her Datsuiba.

     Anyway, Uba-ji Temple was founded in 1683, and the lady image is enshrined in front of the temple's main deity, Amitabha.

     #11 deity of the Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, whose 30-centimeters-tall carved wooden image stands on the right of Uba's.

Address: 86 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4402

Phone: 0175-34-3829

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Daigyo-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when Shinzan Shrine was founded.  The shrine had Hachiman-gu Shrine in its precincts.  In 1617, it burned down.  Hachiman-gu Shrine was revived by being moved to its present place in 1648.  Miyama Shrine was rebuilt in 1654.

     Kasuga Shrine was founded in 1649 to guard the Kimon, namely the Ogre Gate, of Hachiman-gu Shrine.  Kimon is north-east.

     In China, where the lunar old calendar is used, the year-end and New Year days mark not only the turning point of the year but also the transition from winter to spring.  It was a time of great change, and people tended to be sick.  They thought demons came to make them sick.

      On the other hand, in the Chinese zodiac system that have been used since ancient times, seasons and directions used the same phrases: Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog, and Wild Boar.

     New Year's Eve, the boundary of the year, falls between Cow and Tiger.  The direction north-east also falls between Cow and Tiger.  At the time between Cow and Tiger, there come demons.  Then, they should come from the direction between Cow and Tiger, from north-east.  North-east is the gate for demons.  It's a very plain syllogism.

     The Kimon idea is supposed to have been imported to Japan by the end of the 9th century.

     Digyo-in Temple was founded as Kasuga Shrine's shrine temple, enshrining Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.  After the Meiji Restoration, the temple was abolished and its Arya Avalokitesvara image was moved to Daian-ji Temple.

Daian-ji Temple

Address: Honmachi-80 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-2926

Ohata-Hachiman-gu Shrine

Address: Minamimachi-46 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-3636

Kasuga Shrine

Address: Minatomura-158 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

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Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Daian-ji Temple

 

     In 1614, a member of the Tsubo Family in Ohata Village became a monk and built a hermitage, propagating the teachings of Caodong Chan Sect.  He died in 1634, and the hermitage became unoccupied.  Later, Priest Iin moved in, changed the hermitage into a temple in 1650, and named it Daian-ji. 

Address: Honmachi-80 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-2926

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Hokoku-ji Temple

 

     Hokoku-ji Temple was founded in Ohata Village in 1630.

     In the 1630's, an irrigation system was built in Ohata Village by Kikuchi Den'emon.  The village has, however, cold humid winds from May to September, and they couldn't raise rice but Japanese barnyard millet.  Its main industry was forestry.  In 1667, Ohata Port was opened and a konbu market was held.

Address: Honmachi-25 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Phone: 0175-34-2080

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Iketoku-an Temple

 

     Iketoku-an Temple was founded in Shikkari Village in 1695, enshrining Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.  The temple belongs to the Pure Land Buddhism and is a branch of the Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Jonen-ji Temple.  On the inner wall of Iketoku-an Temple, the yukata of the deceased are hung in a row, each with a bag.  Visitors can take yukata home with them, by putting money in the corresponding bag.

     A sacred bronze mirror is embedded on the back of the Cintamanicakra's halo.  The mirror has the name of the bronze mirror maker, Fujiwara, engraved.  

     Shikkari Village is located on the northeastern tip of the Shimokita Peninsula, south of Cape Kukido, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is located at the southern foot of Mt. Kuwahata, which is about 400 meters high.  Sand dunes stretch along the coast from the south of the village.  It is also said that in the Shimokita region, along with Shiriya, it was the territory of Kunohe Masazane (1536-1591).

     The village was documented on April 26th, 1644.

Address: Ogura-8 Shikkari, Higashidori, Shimokita District, Aomori 035-0112

Phone: 0175-47-2369

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Kuwahara Kannon-do Hall

 

     Inari Shrine was invited to Sunago Village, Nukanobu County, Mutsu Province, in 1778.  As Inari's original deity is supposed to be Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha, its image was enshrined in the shrine.  Presumably after the Meiji Restoration, the image was moved to its present place.

     When Nanbu Masatsune attacked Kakizaki Nobusumi in 1457, Sunago-East and Sunago-West Villages were mentioned.

     It is unknown when Sunago Village was developed.  The village used to have Taka Fort.  From its site, pieces of Haji pottery have been excavated.  That means someone affiliated with the Imperial Army advanced to the area sometime between the 3rd and 12th centuries.

     As Kuwahara means Mulberry Field, the shrine and Ekadasamukha were enshrined in the mulberry fields of Sunago Village.  In 1775, the Nanbu Domain including Shimokita had poor crops, which caused famine.  Inari was worshiped as a god of fertility and agriculture.

Address: Kuwaharayama 1, Kuwaharamichi, Sunagomata, Higashidori, Shimokita District, Aomori 035-0004

Inari Shrine

Address: Kuwaharamichi-29-3 Gamanosawa, Higashidori, Shimokita District, Aomori 035-0004

Taka Fort Site

Address: Takadate Sunagomata, Higashidori, Shimokita District, Aomori 039-4222

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Enju-an Temple

 

     It is unknown when a 75-centimeters-tall Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue was enshrined near Ohata Port.  Ohata Port is located at the mouth of Ohata River, which runs from the center of Shimokita Peninsula to north-east into the Tsugaru Straits.  In the latter half of the 16th century, the port started exporting Japanese cypress to the provinces along the Sea of Japan.

     In 1457, Nakatsugawa Shichiroemon drew a map of Shimokita Peninsula.

Between Cape Oma and Cape Shiriya, which used to be called Nanbazali, Shichiroemon dotted (samurai's name is parensized): Oma, Totsuronai, Hebinuma (Kakizaki Shuetsu, Akita Gaiki, and Kushiro Saburobe), Yunosawa (kitagawa Totsuryoken under Kakizaki Shuetsu), Yumoto (Kakizaki Saburoemon), Akagawa, Otsuriya (Onizawa Daigaku under Hikawa Danjo), Hata (Hata Inaba), Shozugawa (Shozugawa Danjo), Tatemawarizeki (Nakatsu Kenmotsu), Ozeki (Oya Yagoro and Yokoshima Kiemon), Omannya-minato, Kogane (Menami Ukyo), Iriguchi, Iwaya, and Cape Nanba.

      Between Cape Oma and Wakinohama Beach, Shichiroemon dotted: Shomiya (Okoppe Takatayu), Kiishi (Harada Toneri), Sai (Santan), Yagoshi (Yagoshi Juro), Shokonji (Kasai), Fukuura (Sasaki Mosaku), Kimonzaki (Onikabuto Shuri), Ozaki (Onizawa Shuzen), Oroshiya (Da Hangbei), Onizawa (Santan, Da Hanggui), Hachimori, Onifuka (Hara Toemon), and Sarumori.

     Between Umadome and Anto, Shichiroemon dotted: Umadome (Tonosaki), Kakisaki (Kakisaki Nobusumi), Kurumagaeshi-shuku (Ishido Tango), Hinokigawa (Hinokigawa Danjo), Uchihinokigawa (Kawauchi Local Administrator Officee), Tazawa, Taniken (Monk Hakkakuro), Junpoji (Hokubuoke Yoshizumi), Minato (Minato Tateyuki), Udagawa (Udagawa Hitachi), Kawamori (Kawamori Shichiro), Anto (Local Administrator Office), Onabedaira (Sato Kan'e, Akahoshi Taro), Matsumura (Sho-Gosho), Shin'yadaira (Hokubuoke), Tanabe (Tanabe Kazusa), Okuuchi (Okuuchi Kuro, Nakayama Kisuke, Yokoyama Kodakumi), Yokohama (Yokohama Kageyu), Yokohira, Onodaira (Osamushi Gyogu), Metori (Suga Mondo, Koyama Hyobu), Tsugaru (Shichido). 

     In the south of Cape Naniwazaki, today's Cape Shiriya, Shichiroemon dotted:  Himotori Beach, Ominato (Ominato Sandayu), Onusa (Local Administrator Office, Nozawa Saburo), Shiranuka (Shiranuka Musashi), Otowa (Fukushi Bizen), Tamamo River (Takanashi Goro), and Ukitai.

Address: Minatomura-122 Ohata, Mutsu, Aomori 039-4401

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Jingu-ji Temple

   

     According to tradition, Minamoto Yoshitoki (1039-1106) drifted ashore at today's Genjigaura Fishing Port in 1053, or rather the port was named as such due to Yoshitoki's washing ashore as Genji means Minamoto Clan.  He invited Hachiman Shrine on January 3rd, 1077, and moved it to Ominato on June 19th, and its first religion ceremony was performed on August 15th. 

     Yoshitoki's father, Yoriyoshi (998-1075), was appointed as the governor of Mutsu Province in 1051. In 1052, the Abe Family was pardoned, and Yoriyoshi stayed in the province relatively peacefully till 1056. It was on February 16th, 1063, that Yoriyoshi returned to Kyoto in triumph with the heads of Abe Sadato (1019-1062) and Fujiwara Tsunekiyo (?-1062).

     It is clear that Yoshitoki accompanied Yoriyoshi, but it is unknown if he took independent action  to the Shimokita Peninsula in 1053 during the relatively peaceful days.  Although the peninsula was a distant and remote place for the Imperial Army at the time, Yoshitoki could have been a great lover of adventure when young.

     In 1070, Minamoto Yoritoshi, the Governor of Mutsu Province, and Kiyohara Sadahira advanced north and reached Ezowake-shima Island, whose whereabouts are still controversial. Some argue the island was Hokkaido, while others say it was a part of the Tohoku Region.  Anyway, the main strength of the expedition force was the Kiyohara Clan.

     While Yoritoshi was in the battle front, Fujiwara Motomichi, a local official of Mutsu Provincial Government, stole the Governor's seal and the key of provincial warehouses.  Yoritoshi was dismissed, and Sadahira had the achievement of the war all to himself.  In addition, Sadahira gained supremacy in the sea route along the Pacific Ocean.

     It was after the expedition that Nukanobu County was organized.  That is, the area became under the control of the Imperial Court nominally.  In reality?  Emerging samurai class advanced to the area which the Imperial Court hadn't been able to conquer.

     It wasn't recorded Yoshitoki joined the expedition.  His participation wasn't impossible but, as he was a big name already, no historian didn't miss his name at the time.  As Genji means the Minamoto Clan, judging from the place name, at least a member of the clan could have arrived at Shimokita Peninsula in the 1170's.

     Jingu-ji Temple was founded as Hachiman Shrine's shrine temple in 1189 by Priest Ekai of Eifuku-ji Temple, which was located in Yonai Village, Iwate County, Mutsu Province.  It was abolished after the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, with its Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja image moved to Joraku-ji Temple.

     Joraku-ji Temple belongs to Shingon Sect and was founded in 1396 by Priest Ryokai, who was from Negoro-ji Temple in Ki Province.

     Anyway, the foundation history of Jingu-ji Temple suggests that there used to be conflicts between northern foreigners and the central military clan, the Minamoto Clan, in the ancient times.

Joraku-ji Temple

Address: 13-6 Ominato Kamimachi, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0086

Phone: 0175-24-1960

Genjigaura Fishing Port

Address: 30 Ienomaekawame, Yokohama, Kamikita District, Aomori 039-4113

Hachiman Shrine

Address: 17-1 Utacho, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0092

Eifuku-ji Temple

Address: 2 Chome-1-1 Shimoyonai, Morioka, Iwate 020-0003

Phone: 019-662-4424

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Jigan-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jigan-ji Temple was founded.  Bannin-do Hall was built in 1668 by Kumagai Genmu in the temple's precincts to enshrine an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses.  The Arya Avalokitesvara sitting-in-the-half-lotus-position image had been curved by Enku (1632-1695), who traveled through provinces and who is estimated to have curved over 120 thousand Buddhist images.

https://www.aham.jp/exhibition/past/enku/

     In January 1666, Enku was driven out of the castle town of Hirosaki Domain.  According to the entry for January 29th, 1666, in the "Tsugaru-han Nikki" and the inscriptions on the backs of Enku Buddha statues found in Hokkaido, Enku traveled to the Matsumae Domain via Aomori in the spring of that year.  The inscriptions on the statues in Owari and Mino Provinces tell us that he returned to the provinces in 1669.  He could have visited Genmu in Shimokita either before his travel to Hokkaido or after.

     After the Meiji Restoration, Jigan-ji Temple was abolished.  Maybe it belonged to Shugen-do or the Japanese Mountain Asceticism.  Bannin-do Hall was moved to Jonen-ji Temple, and the Arya Avalokitesvara image was moved to Osorezan Bodai-ji Temple.  Jigan-ji Temple's precincts have become Mutsu Pension Office.

Jonen-ji Temple

Address: 4-8 Tanabucho, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0034

Phone: 0175-22-1891

Osorezan Bodaiji Temple

Address: Usoriyama-3-2 Tanabu, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0021

Phone: 0175-22-3825

Mutsu Pension Office

Address: 2 Chome-7-30 Kogawamachi, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0071

Phone: 0175-23-7955